The Kids From Yesterday
by Kiyo Kage
Summary: Human AU of Broken Memories.  After finally adopting the three younger kids from Acuna's grasp, Blade and the others now have to struggle through school, jobs, drugs, and social workers.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This story will predominately be a Wolf's Rain fanfic, but there are appearances by Harry Potter characters, namely those who were in Broken Memories. This is also the only chapter done in first person.

XxXxXx

I guess life's not fair. I mean, we're told that all the time. But for some of us, life just decides to dump all sorts of shit on us that we aren't able to handle, and eventually, there's this need to escape.

My name is Kage, and this is my story.

I guess I should start at the beginning. I don't know much, only what Blade and Hige have told me. My father, Acuna, used to be in a gang. They didn't know what it was called, only that the gang ruled the west side of the city we used to live in. There was constant gang warfare in our neighborhood, and Acuna was a large part of it. He also sold drugs to make money, as he couldn't hold down a job.

One day, a fight got out of hand. The way that I'm told it went down is that, for almost the first time, guns were drawn between the two gangs. Acuna high-tailed it out of there, hoping to disappear and start a new gang somewhere else.

At the same time, Blade, Solleks, and Arrow were at our apartment. The three of them, me, and Hige were messing around, wrestling and overall getting into trouble. Fushigi was off in one of the bedrooms, claiming that he hated all of us and thought we were stupid. At five, I guess that was the best thing he could come up with. It's kind of funny how I wish he would revert back to thinking stupid was the worst thing you could call someone.

Acuna burst through the door, and ordered Blade and Hige to get all of us in the car. They say the ride was the most memorable part of the night. Fushigi, always our father's favorite, was allowed to ride shotgun. Hige, Blade, Arrow, and I were crammed into the back seat, which was only big enough for three people who would squish together. Hige ended up with me on his lap, and Arrow sat on Blade's. Everything we owned was left behind, except for Acuna's stash. God forbid he ever left the house without it.

We ended up in New York City. I know, it sounds pretty typical. Run away from a gang only to end up in one of the most dangerous cities in the country? But Acuna needed customers, and people in that city were always up for some kind of high. He moved us into a two bedroom apartment, paid for with his drug money. He had one room, all us kids shared another. As the month went on, he used his money to buy himself and Fushigi beds and food. For some reason, he never extended the favor to the rest of us.

So, two ten year olds, one six year old, and two five year olds began to realize that we needed to take care of ourselves; nobody else was going to do it for us.

Food itself wasn't too big of a problem. We qualified for the free lunch program, so we always had at least one meal a day. For beds we dug through dumpsters until we could find blankets, and made our own beds. They weren't the most comfortable, but it was the best we could do.

One year later, we realized that the clothes we had weren't going to fit us forever. We started going to the bin of clothes they kept at school for kids who lacked money, but after a while, our pride couldn't stand hand outs. Besides, growing up around gangs and drugs, we knew there were other ways to get what we wanted.

So we started stealing. Anything we needed, we took. Whether it was money, clothes, or food, we knew how to get it. But we never kept our winnings at the apartment. Acuna would find them and throw them out.

We had a hide out about a mile down a trail we found at the local park. There was a broken down fort there, and it became our hiding place. If we knew Acuna would have his customers over that night, we didn't even bother going home. We would hang out around the city, and return to our fort to sleep. The next morning, we would break into the school and use the locker rooms to shower. We'd been doing that for a while anyway. There were seven of us in that apartment and only one bathroom.

When we did return to the apartment, it always turned out to be a mistake. It wasn't enough for him to feel as if he'd left us alone to die. No, he had to try to use us to make money. I remember the first time he'd handed me over to a stranger for a lump of cash. The guy dragged me into a room, and by the time I was able to figure out what was going on, he had me naked. I fought back as hard as I could, but I was only ten. Being ten years old and as small as I was didn't give me any advantage, but I was finally able to get away.

The first person I told about what happened was Arrow. He and I were more alike than I ever was with my own twin. He told me that it happened to him to, and that he had a feeling all of us had gone through a similar experience. Nobody was spared besides Fushigi, and it made me hate him even more. How was it that he could live in the same room as us, with the same 'father', and be treated as if he was some kind of fucking prince?

He never went through the beatings that any of us suffered. Our only saving grace, aside from our fort, was that Acuna had no way of maintaining the energy to beat all five of us in one night. Normally, he'd be worn out after two. That left the other three to gather food and get all of us out and back to our hiding space. But there were still times when we'd have to go to the hospital. We had no choice.

The doctors thought we were thugs who got into too many fights. I still remember every excuse we used. When Acuna broke Solleks's leg in order to prove to us that he still had the strength to do whatever he pleased to us, we told the nurse that he had a skateboarding accident. When they feared I had a concussion (which I did) from when Acuna threw me against the sink for dropping some of his precious stash, they said that I had been jumped. When Blade's wrist needed to be reset after Acuna spent an hour 'disciplining' her after she had kept us from the apartment for over two weeks, we said she had been in a fight. When Arrow needed stitches after Fushigi, on Acuna's orders, stabbed him in the arm, we told her that we accidentally got in the middle of a drug deal, which wasn't actually too much of a lie. And when Hige had his collarbone broken when Acuna found him digging through the cupboards, we said he had fallen off his bike.

Everything changed when Blade turned eighteen. She immediately filed for custody of Sollecks, Arrow, and me, but Child Protection Services refused to believe that she was fit to be a mother at eighteen. They didn't understand. It was just a formality. We could all take care of ourselves, but we didn't want to be under Acuna's wing any longer. She stayed living at the house, not wanting to leave us younger kids alone. However, both her and Hige were forced to move out when Acuna told them that he would slit their throats if he saw them around the apartment again.

It was at that time Solleks, Arrow, and I started being watched. Acuna made sure we came straight to the apartment after school, and we stayed there. The punishments for leaving became so severe that we only did so when we realized he was planning on whoring us out that night. Escaping another night of that particular brand of abuse was almost worth not being able to return to school for a few days after due to Acuna's fear that someone would turn him in.

At the same time, Hige and Blade had moved in with Tsume, Blade's twin who she recently found, Kiba, Hige's childhood school friend, and Toboe, the young boy who we later found out was Arrow's twin, but was living with them because Tsume had adopted him when he turned eighteen. All of them, except for Toboe, had jobs, and Blade was saving up for an apartment to prove she could house us.

We were getting worse as each day went by. We still attended school, but spent most of the day sleeping in our chairs as the apartment was never calm enough for any of us to get enough of it at night. We failed tests, didn't do our homework. The teachers thought we were beyond help, and I guess they were right. With CPS stopping Blade at every turn when it came to our adoption, our future seemed to consist only of abuse, drugs, and forced prostitution on those rare nights we didn't see it coming.

The day we got the news that Blade had finally won, we didn't even have the energy to get excited. In fact, we were half asleep in the fort, barely able to understand the words coming out of her mouth. After a good night's sleep, we were excited to get out of there, but we knew that the nightmare wouldn't end. He'd still come for us. He made too much money off of us to let us go. We knew that he still tried to get to Hige and Blade, had even sent some of his 'friends' after them, and it would be foolish for us to think he wouldn't do the same for us.

But now we're here, in a two bedroom apartment that had the bare necessities-four beds (real beds for the first time in my life), a bathroom, and a kitchen that had a sink, fridge, and stove. It wasn't much, but it wasn't Acuna's, and that was enough for now.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Lyrics go to My Chemical Romance…felt the need to start each chapter from here on out with them, so…yeah.

XxXxXx

_You only live forever in the lights you make_

_When we were young we used to say_

_That you only hear the music when your heart begins to break_

_Now we are the kids from yesterday_

It was only an hour before the four teenagers were completely moved into their apartment. All each of them owned was a small backpack, consisting of a couple outfits. They had borrowed some plates and silverware from the apartment across the hall, where Hige and the others lived, but other than that, their situation didn't differ much from the fort. They had a kitchen, yes, but no food. They had beds, but no sheets. They had a heater, but no money to pay to turn it on.

Blade and Solleks would be sharing one room, and Kage and Arrow another. At first, Blade had thought to divide it between boys and girls. But then she realized that keeping her younger brother in her room allowed her to keep a closer watch on the short tempered boy, and the two youngest were so close she couldn't believe she had thought about splitting them up. And, if she were to put Kage and Solleks in the same room, the apartment would probably burn down within a week. At least Arrow was mild enough to level out Kage when she got into one of her "moods".

Blade remembered what the conditions were for her adopting her three younger "siblings". One, she had to maintain a job with an income of at least eight hundred dollars a month. Whether or not she went to college was her choice, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to. She made just over eight hundred a month as a waitress, a job she only took because she knew she could count on tips. Going to school meant cutting back on hours, which she couldn't afford. Blade had heard that some waitresses from other restaurants made over a hundred dollars a night in tips, but she was lucky to make twenty. And that money was going to go fast.

Second, she had to make sure the three of them maintained at least a C average in school, and actually attended classes at least ninety percent of the time. Blade was worried about that condition, although she tried not to show it in court. Even when they were younger, Solleks and Kage never had the patience for school. Arrow refused to go without his best friend, because his size and feminine stature made him an easy target for those who were bigger than him. He could win in a fight, but he preferred to avoid violence as much as possible.

Third, she had to keep them out of trouble with the law. Another one that was going to be tough, as every kid who grew up in Acuna's apartment had at least experimented with drugs, and she knew for a fact the three of them were into drinking and smoking. Possibly pot. It wasn't too different from herself, but if she got caught, she just got a fine and maybe a night in detox. If they got caught, they could end up being thrown back into that apartment.

And last, there would be a social worker, Ms. Owen, who would check in on them on the third Wednesday of each month to ensure that she was following all of the guidelines. Given their history, Ms. Owen would be allowed a tour of the apartment, to make sure that there wasn't any alcohol or narcotics inside.

But she'd worry about all that later. Tonight, Hige, Kiba, Tsume, and Toboe were coming over, and they were going to throw a party. Well, Hige, Blade, Kiba, and Tsume were going to play cards. The rest were probably going to hang around, or, in Toboe's case, do their homework.

They weren't going to play for money-they never did. They played with the set of poker chips Kiba had brought to the apartment with him, and the winner didn't have to clean until the next game. It had been decided the day earlier that, if Blade won, the guys would come over each night to clean whatever mess had been made in the apartment.

"Why do we have to play nice with the runt?" Solleks whined as they waited for the others to come over.

"Watch the runt comments. Arrow's identical and I'm an inch shorter, but both of us could take you on," Kage countered, sitting on the counter as they lacked anything else other than the floor to sit on.

"Whatever, shorty," Solleks teased, ruffling Arrow's hair, lacking the motivation to go after Kage. Arrow glared at the older boy, swatting his hand away.

"Shut up. Blade, we're heading out. There's no sense in us hanging around, we'll go out and find at least some food," Kage grabbed her now empty bag and, followed by the other two minors, left the door before the older girl could respond.

How was Blade supposed to keep them out of trouble when they just did whatever they wanted anyway? If she grounded them, they wouldn't even bother to sneak out. They'd just waltz right through the door, knowing there was no way she could physically keep them from leaving.

As Hige entered the apartment, she forced a smile onto her face. She'd deal with the kids later. For now, she was going to enjoy her time with her friends.

XxXxXx

"What are we going to do? If we just live off the money she makes, we're never going to get anything other than a little food after she pays for rent," Arrow asked, leaning against the window to a shop that apparently sold some form of Indian food.

"We weren't raised in that apartment for nothing," Solleks stated.

"Actually..." Kage drawled, smirking.

"Smart ass. We know where we need to go to make money. If we get enough here, we can go to Acuna's supplier and get ourselves a stash. We can make money selling it around here, especially at school. Most kids our age who use will have no idea if we're giving them a decent price, and we can use that money to help out. Maybe even get some shit to do while we're at the apartment," Solleks looked at the other two.

"As much as I hate to admit it, you've got a point," Arrow sighed. He hated dealing, mainly because he knew that it was so risky. Deal to the wrong people and you were busted. And for them, busted meant being shipped back to Acuna.

"We need to work on getting the money first. Meet up at the subway station near the apartment building in two hours. Focus on money, but try and get food, sheets, and clothing if you can get away with it," Kage ordered before walking off.

Each of the three had different techniques for getting what they wanted. Since they knew which areas of town worked best for them, they were able to work efficiently and, on a normal night, make almost fifty dollars each.

Kage like to hang outside bars for cash, as it was easier to steal from people who weren't entirely in their right minds. For clothes, she hit some of the more obscure shops, knowing that they wouldn't have the security systems the stores in the mall possessed. She always took two sets of clothing into the dressing rooms, one hidden in the other in case anyone was watching. Once inside, she would either wear one of them under her clothes or shove it in her bag, making sure to put the second one back on the rack while someone was watching. For food, she visited the outdoor carts, which were easy to grab a snack or two off of without getting noticed.

Arrow was the stealthiest of the three, so he never had to steal food or clothes. His ability to pick the pocket of any person who came within ten feet of him allowed him to buy the clothes and food he wanted, while still having some left over for anything he might need in the future. He had only been caught once, and had managed to get away once Kage and Solleks arrived, distracting his would-be assailant.

Solleks was pure street kid, and was able to steal from any store, whether or not they had an alarm system set up. Even though his appearance tended to put people on edge and cause every store manager to watch him, nobody could figure out how he managed to get everything from a trench coat to a cd out of the place. For money, he didn't bother trying to steal like the other two. He grabbed the first person who looked like they might have money and took them to the side, threatening them with the hunting knife he managed to acquire a few years ago until they gave him what he wanted. Of course, he always wore a hood and only struck at night, when there wasn't enough light to get a good look at his face, so nobody was ever able to describe him to the police.

Together, they could case a ten block radius in less than an hour. With two hours before they had to meet up, they were able to reach out further, and, by the time they had met back up at the station, all three bags were full of clothes, food, and music and their pockets were stuffed with dollar bills. They were lucky there was some form of a festival going on as well, normally they weren't able to score as much money as they did tonight.

"We going to Salv's?" Kage asked as they took their seats. "Or Andy's?" She knew which she would rather go to. Salv might appear to be one bad moment away from becoming a serial killer, but once you proved yourself, as they had done years ago, he didn't give you shit. Andy was straight killer, they suspected, but none of them had the courage to look for hardcore evidence.

"Salv's. Should only take a few minutes. Get it, head back to the apartment, hide it, and sell tomorrow at school," Solleks replied.

"Only time when the stupidity of the teenage masses helps us out," Arrow muttered, taking a bite of one of the sandwiches Kage had managed to steal.

XxXxXx

"So where are the others?" Kiba asked as their fourth game ended, taking a drink of the beer he had brought with him.

"I don't know," Blade muttered, staring at the table.

"What? Blade, you know if you don't keep them in line-"

"I fucking know, all right? But why don't you try keeping them here?" Blade snapped at Hige, who promptly shut up. He knew as well as she did that the last year at Acuna's, where the three of them had to survive completely on their own, put a strain on everybody, and the three kids weren't ready to take orders from anybody.

"Why do they get to go out?" Toboe whined. He was under a fairly strict curfew from Tsume, who realized quickly that Toboe could possibly get killed out on the streets at night. "You make me stay in!"

"Because they're little punks, that's why," Tsume stated. "And they're not going to end up dead in the streets because they're more street smart than you. Maybe after they take you out a few times and you learn to, I don't know, defend yourself you can go out." He was starting to get annoyed with the brat. He wanted to be able to do everything those around him did, but he was just so naïve and innocent that the world would eat him for breakfast and shit him for lunch. Why didn't the kid get that?

"Look, Toboe, you're a good kid. Those three…they're going to take some time to get to where you're at," Kiba started. He and the younger kids didn't get along too well, mainly because the one time he had met them, they decided they didn't respect him and went about their normal day, completely ignoring the "leader" of their group. "We're working on it with them."

"They're still good kids, Kiba," Blade hissed. "Don't you ever fucking say otherwise. I get into trouble. I take off. I do everything you accuse them of doing but I don't see you talking to me about it. Or are you too much of a chicken shit to say anything to my face?"

"You straightened up when you left Acuna's!" Kiba exclaimed. "Those kids haven't at all! They live with you know and what are they still doing? They're out there, probably stealing and drinking!"

"Look around! Honestly, if they steal anything, it'll help! And they've been out of that place for less than twenty-four hours! And obviously you don't know me too well if you think I've straightened out as much as you seem to!" Blade stormed off, locking herself in her room. Yes, she knew it was childish to run away from a fight like that, but she also knew that she'd end up physically hurting Kiba if she stayed.

Kiba was wrong about her. She never straightened up. She just got better at hiding it.

XxXxXx

The meeting went off without a hitch, and the three teenagers were on the subway back to the apartment with their stash hidden in the bottom of Arrow's bag. He said that he had found a loose floorboard under his bed that they could hide it in, so the other two were more than happy to let him take responsibility for the drugs for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Lyrics this time are from Sick Puppies.

_So what I lied_

_But the truth would have been suicide..._

_Don't blame me for not being subservient to other's feelings_

_I'm at the point where honesty just doesn't fucking work for me_

"Where the hell were you guys?" Kiba asked as soon as the three kids entered the apartment.

"Did I miss something? Since when have we needed to check in with Kiba?" Solleks countered, throwing his bag on the counter and starting to unpack the food.

"What did you guys end up with tonight?" Hige questioned, knowing that questioning the three teenagers about their whereabouts was useless.

"Some food, sheets, clothes for us and Blade, and a little money," Kage answered, emptying her pockets. It had been decided on the way that each of them would take ten dollars from their stash, and the rest would be placed in a cupboard for rent and other bills at the end of the month. Today, there was only about five in the pile, the rest having been devoted to starting up their little "business".

"Where is Blade, by the way?" Arrow chimed in, having dropped his bag (and hidden the contents they didn't want the others to see) in his room and returned to the group.

"She locked herself in her and Solleks' room," Toboe answered, closing the book he had been reading to look at his twin. The two of them would be completely identical if it weren't for the fact that Arrow, like Kage and sometimes Solleks, liked to put random streaks in his hair and dressed in tighter fitting clothing than his twin.

"What? Why?" Solleks demanded, turning towards Kiba. From the little amount of interaction they had with Blade over the past year, it became obvious that Kiba was normally the cause of her distress.

"Kiba and her got into it again. Nothing new," Hige attempted to diffuse the situation. Solleks was already picking the lock on the bedroom and inside within a minute, dragging his older sister out.

"Come on. We fucking got food, so enjoy it instead of moping around like an emo bitch," Solleks groaned. "No offense, Arrow."

"Why must you always do that?" Arrow pretended to be wounded before popping a bag of popcorn into the microwave.

"Because you're an easy target."

"I know where you sleep."

"And I know where you sleep. Your point is?"

"I hate you."

"Love you too, sweetie," by the end of the exchange, both boys were fighting hard not to laugh. It was a vast improvement from only a few months ago, when neither boy had anything to say and making them crack a smile was nearly impossible.

"Well, if you two lovebirds are done, here are your sheets," Kage snickered, handing each of them a set for their bed.

"Ruining all our fun," Solleks grumbled teasingly, heading off to his room as Kage and Arrow did the same.

"Why do they confuse me even more every time I meet them?" Tsume asked. His only response was shrugs.

XxXxXx

The next morning, Blade had her hands full. How was she supposed to wake up all three kids in time for them to take the bus to school? Solleks slept like a rock, Kage would lash out before waking up (a trait Blade discovered after trying to shake the girl awake when they were younger), and Arrow would pretend to get up, only to curl back into his bed.

Well, she might as well start. The bus would be here in an hour, and the three of them still needed to eat and shower.

"Solleks," Blade mumbled, shaking the boy. After half a minute she gave up, as her brother showed no signs of waking. She instead gave his arm a pull, landing him on the floor hard enough to jolt him out of his sleep.

"What the hell?"

"Go get showered. You're going to school." The same conversation happened with the other two, just with different precursors. Kage had water dumped on her head. Arrow had his blankets taken away. But one hour later, and the three of them were on the bus for their first full day of school all year.

Blade waited until she was sure the others weren't coming back before digging her own stash out of the small pile of clothes she kept underneath her bed. It wasn't much, just a few cigarettes and beers. But enough to take the edge off. She climbed out to the fire escape and lounged, knowing that she didn't have to work until the next day.

She knew she wasn't ready to become a mother, but what choice did she have? It was either that or leave the kids in Acuna's care, and the second option would possibly end up with the three of them dead in a gutter somewhere. Granted, that could still happen, but she was able to try and help this way.

XxXxXx

There was one problem with their schedule, but nobody realized it until they got there. Fushigi, Kage, and Arrow had the same schedule, mainly because they shared a common last name. Solleks would, too, but he was a year older and had miraculously made it to the next grade.

At first, it wasn't much of a problem. Arrow and Kage stayed as far away from her twin as possible, but he seemed bent on trying to get their attention. By the time the class had ended, Arrow and Kage were trying to find a way to avoid him for the rest of the day. While they all had a violent past, Kage and Fushigi's had been particularly bloody. The twins took sibling rivalry and turned it into something dangerous. Fushigi was as violent as his father, but Kage fought back against her twin. On any given day, the two of them could be seen sporting a bruise or a black eye that the other had gifted them, if not worse.

"You guys think you're too good for us?" Fushigi drawled, stepping up to Kage. She scowled as Arrow stepped forward, taking his place at her side.

"I know I'm too good for you and our junkie of a father," Kage shot back.

"He's your father, remember bitch?"

"Not like he's ever acted like it. Not all of us can kiss his ass as well as you," Kage snarled, readying herself for a fight she knew was coming.

Fushigi didn't even bother responding. He leapt forward, catching Kage in the jaw with his fist. She responded by driving a punch into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. By the time the two of them were rolling on the floor, Arrow was debating whether or not to join in. He and Kage had talked about her fights, about how she didn't want him interfering. She could handle her own battles.

But still. He didn't want to see his friend get hurt.

XxXxXx

When Hige entered the apartment, he found Blade in the same spot she was in that morning. She appeared to be deep in thought, not even taking a drag of the cigarette she had in her hand.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, climbing out the window to join her.

"This whole situation. I'm not ready to take care of them, it's obvious. And I don't know what to do. They are going to school, yes, but me? I'm never going to go to school. I don't have the time. And even if I did, I couldn't pay for it. All my money goes towards the apartment. If I cut back on hours and took out a loan, I wouldn't even be able to pay rent, and when that fucking social worker gets here, she'll take them back to Acuna."

"Hey, they're good at not being caught. Just let them do their thing, they know if they don't go to school what the consequences are. They'll go, they'll try to get decent grades, but right now, that's all you can ask."

"But what if-"

"Stop worrying all the time. And seriously, snap out of it. You weren't this bad since you dated that Harry guy, and it took Tsume beating the shit out of that kid to make you feel better. We're probably not going to want to try and beat up those three," Hige smiled as Blade let out a small chuckle.

"You're right. At least for tonight. But now what am I supposed to do?" Blade gestured to the empty apartment. "There's not much to do for fun here."

"Kiba, Tsume, and I were going to go hang around town. You in?" Blade nodded, sitting up. "You're not drunk?"

"I'm broke. Can't buy enough to get drunk."

XxXxXx

Fushigi and Kage were sitting near the principal's office, waiting to be picked up. They had already gotten a hold of Acuna, but due to the lack of a phone, Blade was more difficult to reach.

"Look, just let me go back to our apartment. Otherwise, you're stuck with me until Blade manages to get here, which won't be until Arrow and Solleks can get home and tell her to come over here," Kage stated, staring at the woman who was watching them, making sure that another fight didn't break out.

"What the hell, Kage?" Blade entered not five minutes later. "It's not even the end of the first day! Arrow had to come get me during his lunch period!"

"I didn't throw the first punch. I was just defending myself," Kage shot back. She defended herself and then some. While she was sporting a fat lip and a black eye, she had been able to throw Fushigi into a locker, which caused a bruise to cover his entire left shoulder. Not to mention the bruise on his gut from the initial punch.

"Ms. Anders, we were informed about your situation. Kage has not been into a fight of this magnitude on campus under her father's supervision. We expect you will keep her under control in the future, or we will make the recommendation that she is better fit to live with Acuna," the secretary stated, glaring at the teenager.

"I'll take care of it," Blade snarled, grabbing Kage's arm and dragging her out of the school. Once they were outside, she pulled the younger girl to a stop. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"He attacked me first. I'm not going to lie there and take it. I didn't leave that apartment only to become a victim," Kage growled. "Why isn't anyone looking at the fact that he started it?"

"Because you, me, Arrow, and Solleks? They think the four of us are going to fuck up. And they want to watch it happen. They want to see you fall, and then you're going to end up right back at that apartment with Acuna and his friends. Is that what you want?"

"But it's bull shit! I'm supposed to just sit there and let him beat the shit out of me? You know that's what'll happen if I don't fight back. He likes to hurt others, namely me. Or don't you remember the time he fucking stabbed me?" Kage shot back. "I do. I remember being in the hospital, having to have my shoulder blade stitched up and bandaged, and I remember how fucking self-satisfied he looked after wards."

"Kage, if there was something I could do, you know I'd help. But there isn't. And if you get into it with him, you're going to end up back there," Blade was getting annoyed with trying to send the same message through to the girl, only to have it blocked out.

"I'm not going to lie down and take it. And if they try and send me back there, I'm skipping town," Kage growled, taking off.

Blade groaned as Tsume came up behind her.

"Having trouble?" he questioned, smirking.

"No shit. Do you want a medal for figuring that one out?"

"Ha ha. Funny," Tsume quipped. "But seriously, that Fushigi kid's going to be a problem for you guys. Not just for Kage."

"I know. If we separate the two of them, he'll go after Arrow. Or he'll get a friend and go after Solleks. But there's nothing we can do about it," Blade pointed out. "It's either deal or they'll end up-"

"Back with Acuna. You've said it a hundred times. But just make sure they don't start any fights and this should be okay. If you get a school administration with half a brain, that is," Tsume answered. "But hey, let's go back to the apartment. I have some cash, let's order a pizza, make sure they get their work done, and go from there."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Lyrics this time around come from Fall Out Boy. Yeah I know. Don't judge. Also, there's a bit in here just for Blade-Guardian. She'll know what part it is.

_Are we growing up or just going down_

_It's just a matter of time until we're all found out_

_Take our tears put them on ice_

_Cause I swear I'd burn the city down to show you the light_

Blade wasn't surprised when the two other kids only showed up to pick up Kage before attempting to leave. Not this time. She was going to do whatever she could to keep them in line, to keep them from either ending up dead or back at Acuna's apartment.

"Guys, just do your homework. That's all I'm asking. Do your homework and you can head out, do whatever it is you feel like doing," it seemed like Blade repeated this line a hundred times within the first half hour before Arrow, followed by Solleks and Kage, finally sat down and worked on what Blade assumed to be their assignments for the day.

"Why do you have a stick up your ass all of a sudden?" Solleks snickered, looking at his paper. "When am I ever going to need to know what type of rain falls in springtime in northern Russia?"

"It's Russia. It's fucking cold. Just write down snow," Kage mumbled. "But what about this math shit? None of it makes sense!" Her and Arrow had been working on their math assignment for fifteen minutes before realizing that it was a lost cause.

However, over the next hour, the trio made it through their assignments and were gone, presumably to get more money. Blade sighed in relief. She loved those kids, she really did, but sometimes she felt like putting a bullet in their heads.

Tsume, Hige, and Kiba came over at nine, ready to head back out on a walk through the town. The four of them never had a destination or a purpose in mind, they just enjoyed the walk and always found something to do on the way.

"They're gone again?" Kiba asked, looking around the apartment.

"I told them they could leave after they took care of their school shit. But come on, I want to get out of here," Blade started walking out the apartment, knowing that the three boys would follow her.

"I'm hungry," Hige stated less than five minutes after leaving the building.

"That's a shock," Blade teased, turning to face her "brother".

"I'm a growing boy!" he protested in return, pouting.

"Just getting wider instead of taller," Tsume tacked on.

"You're all pricks."

"Takes one to know one," Kiba finished the exchange.

They finally stopped outside the diner where Blade worked, and noticed Acuna standing near the front door. He nearly blended in, but Blade and Hige knew what to look for. It was all there-the hands in pockets, one probably on his wallet, the glazed out eyes that suggested he had gotten high before coming, and the look of sheer determination. He wanted something from them, and was going to hang out by the diner until one of them showed up.

"What do you want to do?" Hige questioned, looking over at Blade. He was more than happy to pretend the man didn't exist, but Blade held a deep hatred. She wanted Acuna to suffer for what he had done, and she wasn't going to pass up an idea like this, where she could confront him in public where it would be safe.

"I'm going to go talk to him. Don't come over unless things get out of control," she ordered, starting to cross the street. As she approached the man who "raised" her, he finally realized who she was.

"Coming crawling back now?" he slurred, leering at her. "Decide that it's not worth going on your own?"

"Actually, I came to talk to you about the dick of a son you have. Fushigi? Started a fight with Kage in school? Ring any bells?" Blade was already at the boiling point, and they had barely started. This was never a good sign.

"You mean the only one who was strong enough to not run away?"

"That's complete bullshit and you know it."

"Oh, yeah, I remember you whining in court about how I 'neglected' and 'abused' you, didn't hug you enough, and all that shit," Acuna drawled, smirking. "I really thought you kids were stronger than listening to those hippie parents that tell you parents have to be beyond loving to be good parents."

"Oh, I thought it had more to do with you whoring us out to support your fucking drug habit," Blade snarled.

"That 'fucking drug habit' kept a roof over your ungrateful heads," Acuna retorted, pushing himself away from the wall.

"And that's about all it gave us. What about food? Clothes once we grew out of our own. Who got us that?"

"So having a place to stay wasn't good enough for you bastards?"

"Not when we were starving, no, it wasn't," Blade steeled herself for a fight, only to have Tsume step between the two of them, hands on Blade's shoulders.

"Come on, he's not worth it. Remember what happens if you get into it with him? You willing to go back to court?" Tsume gave her a slight shove, making her move towards their group. "Let's just go to the diner and get something to eat."

"Whatever," Blade mumbled, not taking her eyes off Acuna as she was led back to the group.

XxXxXx

The three kids were lounging around Salv's place, having already made their purchase but enjoying the party that he had ended up throwing that night. Solleks was challenging the frat boys who showed up to arm wrestling competitions, which he was able to win each of. Kage and Arrow were talking to Anders, one of Salv's roommates.

"You guys know to be smart about what you're doing, right? You're really young to be in the business," Anders was asking them.

"We grew up with Acuna," Kage explained. The man's name was well known through the drug rings, so she knew she wouldn't have to elaborate.

"I don't know whether to be impressed or worried," Anders joked, accepting the joint that had been passed to him.

"No reason to be either," Arrow groaned.

"Well, you guys know you can come to me if you ever need help, although you know if it happens to be with Salv and money, that's one problem I can't fix."

"We know," Kage accepted the joint and, after a couple drags, passed it on to Arrow. "And we'd be fucking retards if we came here after pissing off Salv."

"Good point."

"What's going on?" Solleks asked, taking his seat between his two friends, finishing off the brownie in his hand. "Did you know they have brownies here? They're amazing, I've had like ten already."

"You do know those are pot brownies," Arrow deadpanned, looking at Solleks' face. He was beyond baked, and the booze wasn't helping manners.

"Oops," Solleks grinned, throwing his arm around Arrow. "You were supposed to be the brains, my dear friend. You should have told me earlier."

"At some point you need to get two brain cells to rub together," Arrow groaned, shrugging off the other boy's arm.

"I think we need to go," Kage told Salv as she got up. "Arrow, help me get this loser to the subway."

"It's not nice to call someone a loser, bitch," Solleks grumbled.

"Call me bitch again and we'll let you find you're own way back to the apartment," Kage quipped. It was already going to be an adventure. Arrow and Kage had been drinking and were both a little stoned, and they were leading a baked guy back to an apartment that required making it through two subway stations.

XxXxXx

"Wow, where'd you get the money, Blade?" Hige asked, seeing the small stack of money in the cupboard.

"My job, the three of them exercising their...talents," Blade laughed at the last word. "We're putting it towards the rent and food, so no, this doesn't mean I'm going to gamble with you guys."

"Aww," Kiba joked as the door slammed open, revealing three teenagers who were almost falling over trying to make their way through the door. Whatever toxins hadn't made it through their system before leaving were in full force now, rendering all three into a stumbling, giggling, mess.

"What the hell?" Blade mumbled, unable to decide between being furious or amused at the scene in front of her.

"Hey sis!" Solleks stumbled forward, throwing his arms around his older sister. "Those two were mean to me-ground them!" He demanded, stepping back to glare at the two younger kids.

"What happened to him?" Blade asked, noticing Solleks' beyond dilated pupils.

"He didn't know they were pot brownies!" Kage exclaimed.

"Yeah, 'cause he's an idiot," Arrow added on. "He had like ten."

"So we left the party"

"To bring him home"

"And had to deal with that the whole time!" Kage finished, pointing at Solleks, who was now entranced with whatever was happening outside the window.

"Guys, that's hilarious," Hige wasn't even attempting to hold back his laughter at the three.

"I almost don't even need to punish you guys, tomorrow morning's going to suck," Blade added on, watching her younger brother sink to the floor, giggling slightly. "You guys just keep each other busy, I'm going to hang with these guys."

"Okay Blade!" Kage and Arrow chirped in unison.

"Love you sis!" Solleks yelled as Blade started to leave. The last thing she heard before closing the door to the apartment was Solleks exclaiming "I'm a tree!" followed by a loud thump, which she could only assume was Arrow and Kage attacking the boy.

"That was pure comedy," Tsume grinned as they settled in the boy's apartment.

"Anyone want a beer ?" Hige asked from where he was bent over, rummaging through the fridge. He never did end up eating while they were out, and his stomach was threatening to eat itself.

"Me!" everyone yelled, causing Toboe to come out, rubbing his eye.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking at the group. "I thought you guys were going to hang in Blade's apartment."

"It's probably not a good idea right now. Just go back to bed, runt," Tsume ordered.

"Meanie," Toboe whined, but turned around and disappeared into his room.

"By the way, Blade, I have some bad news," Kiba mumbled, staring at the floor.

"That doesn't sound good," Hige piped up.

"Of course not, idiot. He said bad news. By definition, it's not good," Tsume slapped his friend upside the head.

"Just what is it, Kiba?" Blade snapped, annoyed with her friends.

"I was talking to your boss one day, we have a class together, and she told me that she hired a new cook for the restaurant you work at," Kiba trailed off, wishing he wasn't the one who had to break the news.

"And how is that bad?"

"The cook's Harry, Blade."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Finally coming up with a bit of a plot...or at least, I have a couple future scenes planned out. Also, check out my story, Broken Memories, and Blade-Guardian's story, Lost but Forgotten? Never, as this is the human AU of both of them. Mine is the first bit of the story, her's is the second half. Song is God Called In Sick Today by AFI.

Also, I'm trying to incorporate all the characters more. It's going to end up looking like Degrassi, but...hopefully it works.

_Let's amend the classic story_

_Close it so beautifully_

_I'll let animosity unwind_

_Steal away the darkened pages_

_Hidden so shamefully_

_I'll still feel the violence of the lines_

XxXxXx

Blade woke up early the next morning, knowing she was going to face Harry within a couple hours. She had moved on, it wasn't fair to have to face him again. When she graduated, leaving that high school behind, she left him behind. Blade had fought so hard to put everything that had happened behind her, only to have it crashing back down around here with one statement from Kiba.

"_The cook's Harry, Blade."_

She regretted not telling anybody what had transpired between her and the raven haired boy. Yes, she told Kage, who told Arrow. But she never took it to the police, never told anyone who could do something about it, such as keeping Harry far away from her workplace.

_~Start flashback~_

"_Hey Harry," Blade grinned, leaning in for a kiss as she entered her boyfriend's home. She had been invited over for the night when Harry's parents informed him they were leaving for the night on a business trip._

"_Hey babe," Harry responded when they broke apart. The two of them had been together for four months, and he was quickly getting frustrated. Being in a relationship meant that he wasn't allowed to sleep around, and he had needs. Needs that weren't being met by his current girlfriend, who had told him she wasn't ready to take that final step._

_To Harry, this was bull shit. He knew for a fact she had slept with men for money, she wasn't an innocent virgin._

_The night progressed like most of their dates. Relaxing on his couch, watching television, and eventually ignoring the television in favor of making out. _

_Blade could still remember the moment the night turned bad. Harry was on top of her, hand resting on her thigh. Her, starting to feel uncomfortable, trying to push back memories of the times Acuna had sold her body as she rested her hand on his._

"_Harry, I told you I'm not ready for that," she mumbled, pulling his hand off her leg. Something dangerous flashed in the boy's eyes as he placed his hands on her shoulders._

"_I've had enough of this," he snarled, pushing down on her shoulders. "I know that you're not some innocent virgin, no matter what shit you've been sprouting." _

"_Harry, let me go," Blade tried to growl, but it just came out as a plea. _

"_No, we've been working by your rules for months, Blade! What about what I want?" Harry's right hand left her shoulder, moving to work on the buckle of her belt. _

"_Harry, stop!" Blade yelled, but he transferred her hand to be held in his larger left hand, and he was stronger than his slight figure led most to believe. On a normal day, they might have been an even match. But he was in control, and she was shaking, panicking, and couldn't calm herself down to put enough power behind her struggles._

"_You had your chance. I set it up a hundred times, made it fucking romantic and all that shit that girl's are supposed to want. Now we're doing this my way."_

_He shifted his weight, pulling her pants off and getting to work on his._

_~End Flashback~_

She hadn't cried. She refused to let him see any tears as she redressed and ran from his house. She didn't cry as she continued running into the woods, to the one place of safety her and her "siblings" had.

She finally cried when she thought she was alone, curled up in the corner of their fort. What she didn't see was the faint ember of a cigarette that was being smoked in the darkness.

_~Start Flashback~_

"_What the hell, Blade?" Kage gasped, putting out her cigarette on the heel of her combat boots. She couldn't see her friend, but she could hear the sobs. "Who's neck am I breaking?"  
_

"_Not now, Kage," Blade managed to get out, trying to get her emotions under control. She hated losing control in front of anyone, especially someone that she felt a need to take care of herself._

"_Yes, right now. If I let you close up now, you'll never end up telling me who I'm going to jail for killing," Kage responded, sitting back down next to Blade. She put a hand on the older girl's shoulder, not really knowing how to comfort someone else. With Arrow and Solleks, they just hung out together until whatever was bothering them didn't seem too bad._

"_Kage-"_

"_Names. Now."_

"_Harry, he..." Blade trailed off, but Kage was able to figure out what had happened._

"_He's fucking dead," Kage growled, grabbing her backpack. _

"_Kage, I can't deal with that right now," Blade mumbled, trying to keep the girl from doing something that they'd both end up in jail for._

"_Blade, he can't get away with that," Kage countered. "I can't just sit here knowing that he did that to you! He has to pay!"_

"_Just sit back down and hand me a cigarette. And don't tell anybody."_

_~End Flashback~_

Of course, Kage told Arrow. Blade hadn't even gotten mad, the two of them shared everything. But Kage never told anyone else about that night, helped Blade cover when she said her and Harry had just gotten into a bad fight and split up.

Pulling her hair back, she stared at her reflection. Her mask was firmly in place, emotions locked safely away. She could only pray that she was able to hold it together when she saw the boy in person.

XxXxXx

There was only one way to put it-Toboe felt lonely. The rest of their group had left him behind, either because he was too young or, in their eyes, too naïve. He knew they were trying to protect him from the world, but he only ended up isolated. He had hoped to find a friend in his identical twin, but the differences in their childhoods was too great.

He was done being treated like a baby. If he couldn't find a friend at home, he'd find one at school. It was time to start actively seeking out people he could relate to.

Taking his normal seat before the first class of the day started, Toboe turned to face the guy who always sat to his right.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked, leaning back in his seat.

"Nothing much, you?" the boy asked, nudging his curly light brown hair out of his face.

"I don't understand what she's trying to teach us," Toboe nodded at the woman who had just walked in.

"Wait, we're learning here?" the other boy quipped, smirking. "Name's Drew, by the way."

"Toboe. What're you doing later? I was planning to kill some time at the mall," Toboe asked, having received his Social Security check that morning. Being raised in an orphanage led to him having government benefits Solleks, Kage, and Arrow lacked, and the best was the check that came in every month.

"I have football practice after school, but I'm free after dinner. Eight work?" Drew replied as the bell rang. "I don't have a curfew, so it's all good."

"Yeah, I'm game," Toboe said, turning to face the front of the room.

Unlike Drew, he did have a curfew. A ridiculously early one-ten o'clock. But, judging how everyone had been acting around him, they wouldn't notice if he wasn't there. Hell, they probably wouldn't notice if he wasn't there.

XxXxXx

Normally, Arrow was never alone at school. With his best friend in all of his classes and a friend who was in close second in the building, he was never found on his own. It became a high school survival strategy. Sure, he was stronger than he looked, but that didn't help when you looked like the typical emo gay guy in the television show of your choice. It also didn't help when fighting back is suicide, as it's never just one jock who wants to start shit. They travel in packs.

So today, with Kage serving lunch detention for her fight with Fushigi, he ended up eating alone in his classroom. Solleks had a different lunch period, and there was no way he would eat lunch with his twin. Toboe had a tendency to want to talk about things Arrow didn't give a shit about, and would get upset when Arrow stated it. Luckily, he had managed to get a book the night before and was starting to enjoy it when the problems began.

"Hey faggot," a voice drawled. Arrow glanced up from his book and noticed three of the football players entering the room. _Great_...Arrow returned his attention to the book, hoping they'd get bored and back off. He could probably take one of them, but all three? Not a chance. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" The apparent leader yanked him to his feet.

"Seriously?" Arrow groaned. "You have nothing better to do than harrass me? Why don't you spend some time practicing so you can actually win a game?"

"We've been waiting for you to ditch the fag hag," the second one snarled. "You scared of us or something?"

"You got a crush on me or something? You've been waiting to get me alone?" Arrow quipped, unable to hold his tongue. As the quiet one in his group, he always thought it was unnecessary for his friends to make their smart-assed remarks, but it was incredibly satisfying in this situation.

"Watch your mouth, fag!" Arrow was slammed against the wall, and decided he'd had enough.

"Creative," Arrow commented before ducking away, grabbing his bag, and leaving the room. He managed to catch up with Solleks and Kage at the locker the three of them shared before the jocks caught sight of him again. They went the other way, however, because Solleks looked like the type of guy you only pissed off when shooting yourself seemed inconvenient.

"What's up?" Solleks asked.

"Nothing much, read a book at lunch, managed to make a couple sales in class. You?"

"About to make a sale. Later," Solleks nodded at his friends before taking off.

"What really happened?" Kage asked once Solleks was gone.

"Nothing. Just a slight problem with some jocks," Arrow mumbled, grabbing his book for the next class.

"Which three? The two of us together can take them," Kage growled. She didn't have many rules, but her first and most important was that nobody fucked with her friends.

"Not really in the mood to get expelled. They'll get bored after a while. Besides, they didn't actually hurt me. I ditched as soon as they annoyed me," Arrow dismissed the conversation, and Kage knew a dead-end when she saw it. She'd wait until he was drunk and question him then.

XxXxXx

It was noon before Harry had made it to work. For most of the day, Blade had been able to avoid him. It wasn't that hard, he was in the kitchen while she was out serving customers. The only part of her day that changed was her break, which she now spent smoking out back instead of hanging in the kitchen with a couple coworkers. However, both of them got off of work at five, and there was no avoiding the confrontation that was bound to happen.

"Bitch, you can't ignore me forever," Harry growled, grabbing her wrist.

"No, but I can hope that you fall face first into fryer," Blade retorted, pulling her arm out of his grasp. "And no, I haven't told anyone, so you can leave me the fuck alone."

"I wouldn't have done it if you would have just put out," Harry looked as if he believed this to be a valid reason for what happened.

"Yeah, that's the answer. If they won't give you want you want, you just take it. Wouldn't that make the world a fucking better place?"

"It would, actually," Harry responded, looking up as his best friend, Ron, stopped his car next to them.

"Ready to go, Harry?" Ron asked. Harry nodded and, with one last look at Blade, climbed in the passenger seat. When they were out of sight, she leaned against the building, trying to calm herself down.

"Nothing happened. You can do this. Just don't let him get to you."

XxXxXx

Toboe was enjoying himself at the mall, where he and Drew were currently playing MarioKart at GameStop. Their game had escalated to kicking each other when the other gained the lead. He hadn't been able to hang out like this in forever. In fact, the last time he could consider someone a friend was in the orphanage when he was ten.

"Man, that was great!" Drew exclaimed as they left the store. "But I'm going to have a bruise from those fucking boots."

"You were asking for it," Toboe joked, checking his watch. It was ten, his curfew, and he was just now contemplating returning to the apartment.

"Hey, I'm having a party Saturday. Bunch of guys on the team are coming over to play Madden, so if you're up for it, come on over," Drew offered.

"Sounds great!" Toboe grinned as they made it to the bus station.

"I'll give you the address in class tomorrow. Later!" Drew hopped on a bus, and five minutes later, Toboe was on his own. Half an hour later, he entered the apartment, which was empty. He did, however, see the note on the table.

_Toboe, I told you to be in by 10! ~Tsume_

Figures. No punishment, no "I was worried about you", just a statement of fact. And honestly, Toboe could care less. He had somewhere he could go, and he didn't need these people anymore.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update. School is kicking my ass right now, and updating is going to be kinda sporadic until I can get everything under control.

Disclaimer: Still don't own, so don't sue.

_I'd rather rot alone _

_Than spend a minute with you_

_I'm gone, I'm gone_

_And you can't stop me from falling apart_

_Cause my self destruction is all your fault_

Kage wasn't an easily frightened person. Hell, she dealt drugs in some of New York's shadiest places without blinking an eye. But this ongoing battle with her twin was able to spark that fear inside, and it pissed her off to no end. But her fear wasn't entirely unfounded-she knew what Fushigi was capable of.

They had been four when this battle started, and since then their relationship had been violent to say the least. Their school fight had been relatively tame, given their history. And, as strong as Kage was, Fushigi was stronger. Growing up, he had always had enough food, medicine, and rest. Which led to him winning their fights, and in a major way.

She still remembered when he had gotten a hold of a knife when they were twelve. It was the first and last time he had truly attempted to kill her. He had gone for her chest, but she had managed to move enough that she had avoided being murdered, but had ended up with a deep gash in her left shoulder. Arrow found her and helped wrap it up before getting her to a hospital.

Luckily, that was a one-time thing. But it didn't stop the two of them from knocking each other unconscious at least twice a week, even after they stopped living together. Arrow believed it was a mixture of sibling rivalry and FAS. And not just alcohol. Their mother had apparently done drugs as well while pregnant, and that was most likely what led to their lack of a filter when it came to violence.

Finally making it to the last class of the day, Kage plopped into her seat next to Arrow.

"Hey bro," she mumbled.

"Hey," Arrow responded, looking up from his doodles. "How was the test last period?" The previous class was the only one the two didn't have together, when she had sociology and he took choir.

"Not too bad. I may have passed," Kage joked, stealing the sandwich Arrow had stashed in his bag.

"You know, sometimes I get food for myself," Arrow groaned, making a grab for the sandwich.

"And you know I'll take it, so why don't you get two?" Kage countered, shoving the rest in her mouth.

"Because I'm holding out hope that you'll learn that it's my food," Arrow scowled before the facade dropped and he grinned. "You owe me so much food at this point it's not even funny."

"Well if it isn't the emo fag and his hag," Fushigi drawled, taking a seat behind them.

"Fuck off," Kage growled, any traces of the friendly teasing from before gone from her face.

"I'm not feeling the love here," Fushigi smirked, opening his notebook.

"You'll be feeling something," Kage started to stand, but Arrow pulled her back into her seat.

"He's baiting you," he hissed, glaring at Fushigi.

The class seemed to drag by. Arrow tried to keep Kage from turning around and attacking Fushigi, who had been making snide remarks under his breath. When the bell rang, Kage turned to Arrow.

"Don't follow until after half an hour," she ordered, beginning to follow her twin down the hall.

"Kage..." Arrow warned, not knowing what to say to stop her. Kage followed Fushigi to the boiler room, a place they both knew was never visited by any of the faculty. Fushigi had just set his bag down when Kage grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the nearest wall.

"What is your fucking problem?" she spat, holding him in place.

"Pretty much you," Fushigi countered, bringing his knee up to smash into her stomach, causing her grip to fail as she gasped.

No words were exchanged as the fight began. Fushigi pinned Kage on her stomach, sitting on her back with her wrists clasped in his hands. She waited until he started to lean forward, pulling her arms with him, before slamming her head back up, splitting his lip open. Rolling over, Kage managed to get on top of Fushigi, and punched him in the eye. However, when retracted her hand, he grabbed her elbow and jumped up, back-handing her, splitting open her lip from the pressure and cheek from the ring he wore. Spinning around, he pushed her face first into the wall, panting.

"You will always belong to me. No matter where you are, you will always be mine. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, and there's nothing you can do to stop me," he whispered in her ear before letting go, grabbing his bag, and leaving.

Kage turned around and sank to the floor, head against her knees. What did Fushigi mean? And how much longer could she keep up this battle?

XxXxXx

Tsume looked up from the bike he was currently repairing as Hige walked into the shop.

"What's wrong with that one?"

"Idiot didn't realize that when your breaks start to squeak, you should take it in before the problem spreads," Tsume groaned, standing up. "What are you doing here?"

"Got off work early. Thought I'd come over here and hang out until you get off," Hige shrugged, taking his spot against the wall.

"What about Blade?"

"Bad mood. And I'm not entirely sure where Kiba or Toboe are. So you're the lucky winner," Hige grinned. "Anyways, you think you can get me a job here? Even if it's just cleaning or something."

"Why," Tsume stopped working, intriqued.

"Got fired. I was tired, and went off to the bathroom, and they came looking for me after half an hour," Hige at least had the decency to look ashamed.

"I can put in a good word, but it's not my choice. And that sort of dumb shit is going to get you fired here, too. Are you at least able to pay the rent? It's due in a week," Tsume glared.

"I got this month, don't worry," Hige assured the older man.

"Okay, I'll talk to my boss tonight. You might be able to get a job cleaning or some shit."

XxXxXx

After school, Kage, Arrow, and Solleks walked to the nearby park, where Kage began to wash the blood from her face after telling her friends what had been said.

"Kage, that doesn't sound good," Arrow pointed out.

"And here I bet she was thinking it meant he was going to give her a fucking cake," Solleks threw back.

"Shut up, you two," Kage snapped, drying off her face. "I've dealt with him before."

"And he's almost killed you before. And now your face is cut, your lip is split, there's a lump on your head, and bruising," Arrow countered.

"Well, there's not much I can do about it, is there?"

XxXxXx

Author's Note: Sorry it's so short, but I wanted to get something out there. And next chapter will have canon characters (I'm still trying to come up with a plot for them).


End file.
